HUBLOT Officially Enters the Chinese Avant-garde Art Highland And Support the Opening Exhibition of M WOODS for a Grand Feast of Art

The DNA of HUBLOT has always been strongly powered by the “Art of Fusion”. For some, Art may be just a fancy trend to follow. Yet for HUBLOT, Art is in its blood, a belief in heart, and its philosophy in all creations.

The hit show of the year “HUBLOT Loves Art” is unveiled on October 10th 2014 in Beijing 798 Art Zone. Eternity – Hourglass of Time, the awe-inspiring massive-scale installation jointly created by renowned contemporary Chinese artist Xu Zhen, has successfully completed in the center of 798 Bauhaus Plaza. HUBLOT thus makes its presence in the center stage of Chinese avant-garde art highland and is extremely proud to achieve the crossover between a luxury brand and the public art.

Following the installation, HUBLOT-partnered M WOODS Gallery opening exhibition “PALE FIRE——Revising Boundaries” red carpet ceremony in the evening. HUBLOT, together with a hundred distinguished guests and friends from the world of art, collection and culture, have witnessed this grand Art event. HUBLOT also presented “Official 2014 FIFA World Cup referee board” as a gift to Lin Han, collector and founder of M WOODS as well as to exhibiting artist Xu Zhen, with the presence of renowned Chinese collectors Qiao Zhibing, Zhou Dawei, Liu Wenchao, Zhao Lingjia, Lu Xun, and Zhao Youhou.

HUBLOT and Xu Zhen – an Extraordinary Collaboration of a Luxury Brand and Public Art

The brand philosophy “Art of Fusion” paves an art road for HUBLOT, leading to a world of imagination that has no boundary. When HUBLOT met Xu Zhen, the well-known contemporary Chinese artist, the potential of this fusion escalated to the maximum. Eternity, one of the masterpieces of Xu Zhen, was inspired by Standing Buddha Tianlongshan Grottos and Statue of Nike of Paionios. These sculptures of gods and Buddha that represent aesthetics of imperfection and symbolizes eternity are reconstructed by the artist in his own unique way. This strong sense of collision articulates the conflicts and divergence, tolerance and symbiosis of western and eastern civilization as well as cultures in such a way that is abrupt, almost shocking and awe-inspiring.

Hourglass of Time, co-existed with Eternity, is inspired by the sand to measure time. Time flows from the top to the bottom and during the process, the Chinese ancient time measurement Shi Chen is transferred into the western time measurement Arabic numerals. This installation translates well the HUBLOT philosophy of “Art of Fusion” in which western and eastern cultural symbols fuse in each other. Eternity – Hourglass of Time echoes the eternity of time with the eternity of civilization.

This massive installation is 5-meter high. Its body, clock and base are crafted in China and Switzerland. After months of efforts and thousands of miles of travelling, the installation is finally assembled and completed here in Beijing 798 Art Zone. The making of Eternity – Hourglass of Time witnessed the excellence, and wisdom of eastern and western master watchmaker and artists, paying tribute to their commitment and passion.

The significance of “HUBLOT Loves Art” reaches far beyond. In the profound world of art, this is an innovative move of a luxury Swiss watch brand in a creative art cooperation approach. Public art is obtaining increasing attention all over the world, including China. HUBLOT appreciates and supports the spirit of public art. This project in particular, allows a fusion between high watchmaking and avant-garde public art in an unprecedented manner. It breaks all the rules of how a luxury brand interacts with art.

Loic Biver, General Manager of Greater China, HUBLOT, said, “ Contemporary art is prospering in China with an increasing number of outstanding artists and internationally recognized art works. We are honored to be part of this. The public art project that we co-created with Xu Zhen in Beijing 798 Art Zone is so far the proudest crossover of HUBLOT. His art mind best exemplifies the concept of fusion and our cooperation stimulated the most exciting brilliance of art.”

Xu Zhen has been widely exhibited all over the world since participating the 49th Venice Biennale in 2001 and being awarded the “Best Artist’ prize by the China Contemporary Art Award in 2004. In addition to his role as an artist, Xu Zhen is also an active curator and art activist in the art community in China – quite influential in both art and business world. Xu Zhen said, “The cooperation with HUBLOT is quite a nice coincident. HUBLOT has a strong voice on time and fusion, which is exactly what my art works utters. The language of sculpture is solidified time. Eternity and Hourglass of Time each has a concept of their own. However, putting them together perfectly expressed my understanding of pluralism and fusion in the world we are living, the respect to tradition and the vision for the future.”

The opening of M WOODS gallery in the evening brings the heat of HUBLOT art season to a new level. VIPs from the world of art and culture attend the opening ceremony. HUBLOT, together with distinguished guests, will witness the moment of the year in the Chinese art community.

M WOODS, the first private gallery in Beijing 798 Art Zone, is founded by the emerging Chinese art collector Lin Han, who is also the youngest collector that has ever established a gallery in China. M WOODS exhibits approximately a hundred collections, all privately collected by Lin Han, including installations, paintings, sculptures and photos from not only renowned international artists but also from avant-garde young artists home and abroad.

Lin Han said, “I am really grateful for the support of HUBLOT to art. In the background of globalization, art collection has broken through the boundary of countries and cultures. Our mission, which perfectly matches with HUBLOT’s concept of Fusion, is to establish a non-profit art platform with a vision for the world and knows no boundary, to support development and exchange program for young artists home and broad, and to constantly inject new blood into Chinese art community.”

The theme of the M WOODS opening show is “PALE FIRE——Revising Boundaries”, gathering the most influential generation of collector with an international vision. Art organizations are also invited to assist the exhibition, such as The Museum of Modern Art from the US, Tate Modern and Tate Britain from the UK, Gagosian Gallery, PACE Gallery, White Cube Gallery, Hauser & Wirth Gallery, to name but a few.

Having landed in the hinterland of Chinese art, HUBLOT looks forward to working side by side with the most cutting-edge and vitalizing artists, collectors and art organizations to call upon the emerging art force with the greatest potential and to share the creativity and passion for Art.